Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants: Notice of Availability and Opening of Comment Period for an Application for Incidental Take Permit to Allow Take of an Endangered Species by the Town of Rome, Adams County, Wisconsin, and National Environmental Policy Act Determination

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants: Notice of

Availability and Opening of Comment Period for an Application for

Incidental Take Permit to Allow Take of an Endangered Species by the

Town of Rome, Adams County, Wisconsin, and National Environmental

Policy Act Determination

SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) provides notice

of the availability of a Habitat Conservation Plan/Incidental Take

Permit Application from the Town of Rome, Adams County, Wisconsin, and

the Service's National Environmental Policy Act Determination for the

proposed action of permit issuance. The Applicant proposes to

reconstruct approximately 4.25 miles of an existing roadway (Badger

Avenue) which includes construction work in the associated road rights-

of-way. An approximately 2.5-mile segment of the roadway project area

includes patches of habitat occupied by the endangered Karner blue

butterfly (Lycaeides melissa samuelis). Construction activities that

may impact the Karner blue butterfly include clearing, grubbing, and

grading operations. Post construction right-of-way mowing may also

result in the take of the Karner blue butterfly. The applicant has

prepared a Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) for the project area which

includes measures to minimize, mitigate and monitor impacts to the

butterfly and its habitat. Due to the nature of the proposed action,

the Service proposes to issue a permit for a period of 20 years to

include the limited take of occupied habitat for the road construction

project and subsequent mowing program, compensation for take through

appropriate minimization and mitigation measures, and implementation of

a post-construction monitoring program to assure the success of the

minimization and mitigation measures. The HCP and Incidental Take

Permit Application are available for public review and comment for a

period of 30 days. All comments received, including commentors names

and addresses, will become part of the Service's Administrative Record

and may be made available to the public.

DATES: Written comments on the Habitat Conservation Plan/Incidental

Take Permit Application and the Service's NEPA Determination should be

received on or before February 11, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to review the application and associated

documents may obtain copies by writing to the Regional HCP/NEPA

Coordinator, Fish and Wildlife Service, 1 Federal Drive, Fort Snelling,

Minnesota 55111-4056. Documents will be available for public inspection

by appointment only, during normal business hours (8:00-4:30), at the

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1 Federal Drive, Fort Snelling,

Minnesota, (612-713-5350) and at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,

1015 Challenger Court, Green Bay, Wisconsin (920-465-7440). Written

comments should be submitted to the Regional HCP/NEPA Coordinator at

the address listed above or via FAX at 612-713-5292. Please refer to

permit number TE006295 when submitting comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: Ms. Lisa Mandell, Regional HCP/NEPA

Coordinator, at (612) 713-5350.

Dated: January 5, 1999.

Charles M. Wooley,

Program Assistant Regional Director, Ecological Services, Region 3,

Fort Snelling, Minnesota.

[FR Doc. 99-614 Filed 1-11-99; 8:45 am]

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